[0001] The present invention relates to a seat structure for a vehicle and to a vehicle
provided therewith, and more particularly, to a movement mechanism of a rear seat
which is disposed in front of a load compartment at a vehicle rear.
[0002] In recent years, various structures for a vehicle for effectively utilizing a limited
space in the vehicle has been adopted. A structure in which a seat including a seat
cushion and a seat back is configured so as to be partially foldable or moveable to
provide a wide, flat and horizontal face for a load and the like is known.
[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-115587 discloses a structure
in which a seat back is moved forward in front of a seat cushion by a link member
and thereby a substantially flat and horizontal face is constituted by a rest-side
face of the seat back and a sitting face of the seat cushion. Also, Japanese Patent
Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-272394 discloses a structure in which the seat cushion
is rotated forward around an axis at the front end thereof and the seat back is pulled
down forward, thereby forming a substantially flat face comprised of a bottom face
of the seat cushion and a back face of the seat back. Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open
Publication No. 9-142189 discloses a structure in which the seat back is folded down
on the sitting face of the seat cushion and then the seat cushion and the seat back
are rotated forward together around an axis at the front of the seat cushion, thereby
providing a flat face constituted by the bottom face of the seat cushion and a vehicle
floor face on which the seat cushion is placed in a normal use state (namely, in a
state of passenger sitting). Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
2000-108744 discloses a structure in which the seat back is folded down on the sitting
face of the seat cushion and then the seat cushion and seat back are moved forward
in parallel by a link member, thereby providing a flat face constituted by the back
face of the seat back and the vehicle floor face on which the seat cushion is placed
in the normal use state.
[0004] Herein, the following structures of holding or moving the seat would be preferable,
namely, (a) the seat cushion should be fixed without being moved in order to secure
a sufficient rigidity of the seat cushion for passengers sitting on or loads placed
on the seat; (b) it should be easy to operate the seat to be folded or shifted; and
(c) a dead space in the vehicle should be utilized effectively. Meanwhile, it may
be useful to apply such structures of folding or moving the seat, in order to provide
a horizontal face on which the loads and the like are placed, to a rear seat which
is disposed in front of a vehicle load compartment for the purpose of obtaining a
large load space at a vehicle rear. Herein, it would be preferable to locate a horizontal
face of the seat and the floor face of the load compartment in lower positions in
order to allow easy loading or unloading through a vehicle tail gate and provide a
larger load compartment in a vehicle-height direction as well. Also, it would be preferable
to constitute a substantially flat large face by the horizontal face of the seat and
the floor face of the load compartment for the purpose of providing a stable loading
space for relatively long loads and the like. However, the above-described prior art
could not satisfy all these needs.
[0005] The present invention has been devised in view of the above problem, and an object
of the present invention is to allow a seat structure for a vehicle to move the rear
seat by effectively utilizing the dead space in the vehicle, and thereby form a substantially
flat face comprised of the horizontal face of the seat and the floor face of the load
compartment which are located in lower positions so as to allow easy loading or unloading
and provide a larger space load compartment in the vehicle-height direction as well.
[0006] Further, another object of the present invention is to provide the seat structure
for a vehicle in which the seat moving can be operated easily.
[0007] These objects can be solved by a seat structure for a vehicle according to the present
invention of claim 1 and by a vehicle according to claim 10. Preferred embodiments
of the present invention are subjects of the dependent claims.
[0008] According to the present invention, there is provided a seat structure for a vehicle
including a rear seat which is or which is to be disposed in front of a load compartment
at a vehicle rear, comprising a seat cushion, a seat back, a cover member to be disposed
at a back side of the seat back, wherein the seat cushion and the seat back are configured
so as to be separate from each other, and the cover member is or is to be pivotally
or rotatably connected to a vehicle floor at the vicinity of a rear end of the seat
cushion at a lower end thereof and to the seat back at an upper end thereof, around
respective axes extending substantially in a vehicle width direction, whereby the
seat back can be supported by the cover member so as to move or translate forward
and be located in a rising or substantially uproght position thereof in front of and/or
at least partly below the seat cushion and behind a front seat located before the
rear seat according to a forward rotation or translation or movement of the cover
member via the lower end pivotal connection to the vehicle floor, and the cover member
is configured so as to at least partly cover substantially an upper face of the seat
cushion and provide a substantially flat and horizontal face at the vehicle rear in
cooperation with a floor of the load compartment when the seat back has moved forward.
[0009] Accordingly, since the seat back moves forward in front of the seat cushion and the
cover member covers over the seat cushion by moving the seat back and rotating the
cover member forward, the horizontal face is formed by the cover member in a low position
in particular without moving the seat cushion. Also, since the horizontal face forms
the substantially flat face in cooperation with the floor of the load compartment,
a large load compartment which can place long loads and the like stably therein can
be obtained. Further, the seat back can be stored properly by effectively utilizing
a dead space in front of the seat cushion.
[0010] Also, according to a preferred embodiment, the seat structure further comprises a
guide member which is provided at a side face of the seat back so as to extend substantially
in a longitudinal direction of the seat back, and the upper end of the cover member
to be pivotally connected to the seat back is configured so as to slide along the
guide member with respect to the seat back.
[0011] Accordingly, since the upper end of the cover member slides or can slide along the
guide member, the seat back which have moved forward can be properly located in its
rising position in front of the seat cushion and along a back face of the front seat
located before the rear seat, regardless of the height of the vehicle floor before
the seat cushion.
[0012] Further, according to another preferred embodiment, the seat back comprises a cushion
member and a holding member to be provided so as to hold the cushion member and include
the guide member, and the cover member includes a support frame to support the seat
back so as to hold a passenger sitting.
[0013] Accordingly, since the support frame to support the seat back so as to hold the passenger
is provided at the cover member and the seat back includes the cushion member and
the holding member including the guide member, the seat back can be formed lightly
and thereby the operation of moving the seat back can be facilitated.
[0014] Also, according to another preferred embodiment, the seat structure further comprises
a support member which is pivotally connected to the vehicle floor at one end thereof
and to the seat back at other end thereof so as to support the seat back along with
the cover member.
[0015] Accordingly, the seat back can be held stably in its use position, where the passenger
sits, and its rising position, where it has been moved forward.
[0016] Also, according to another preferred embodiment, the seat structure further comprises
a link member which is pivotally connected to the seat back or the support member
at one end thereof and to the cover member at other end thereof, whereby the seat
back is configured so as to be held in the rising position thereof by said link member
interconnecting the seat back or the support member and the cover member.
[0017] Accordingly, the position of the seat back can be controlled property with respect
to the cover member while being moved, and thereby it can be moved properly between
its use position and its rising position, holding the seat back stably to keep its
rising position. Also, the seat back can be moved smoothly without any contact or
interference with another seat.
[0018] Also, according to another preferred embodiment, the seat structure further comprises
a biasing member to be interposed between the seat back and the cover member so as
to resiliently bias away each other, and a fixing member to releasably fix the seat
back to a sitting position for the passenger, whereby when the fixing member is released,
the seat back can be rotated by the biasing member around the pivotal axis at the
upper end of the cover member and supported by the cover member and the biasing member
so as to move forward and be located in the rising position thereof.
[0019] Accordingly, the biasing member can provide the seat back with a substantially automatic
forward movement when the fixing member is released, and thereby the cover member
covers over a sitting face of the seat cushion to provide the horizontal face.
[0020] Also, according to another preferred embodiment, the biasing member is configured
of or comprises an expanding member which is pivotally connected to a back face of
the seat back at an upper end thereof and to the vehicle floor near the rear end of
the seat cushion at a lower end thereof, around respective axes extending substantially
in the vehicle width direction, and biases the seat back forward and upward.
[0021] Accordingly, since the seat back and the vehicle floor are connected by the expanding
member, the seat back is held by both the cover member and the expanding member. As
a result, the holding force for the seat back can be further improved, compared with
a case where the seat back is held only by the cover member. Accordingly, an unstable
movement of the seat back which might occur while moving it between its use position
and its rising position can be avoided properly, thereby providing the stable, smooth
and certain movement of the seat back.
[0022] Also, according to another preferred embodiment, the biasing member is configured
of or comprises a biasing piece which is pivotally connected to a back face of the
seat back at one end thereof around an axis extending substantially in the vehicle
width direction and pushes against a face of the cover member which faces to the back
face of the seat back by the other end thereof with a sliding contact therewith so
as to bias the seat back forward.
[0023] Accordingly, the stable, smooth and substantially automatic movement of the seat
back between its use position and its rising position can be attained by a simpler
structure. Also, since the biasing piece is pivotally connected to the back face of
the seat back at one end thereof and pushes against the face of the cover member which
faces to the back face of the seat back by the other end thereof with the sliding
contact therewith, the biasing piece stays contacting the cover member after the seat
back has moved to its rising position. As a result, the biasing piece may not interfere
with the seat cushion, and thus the horizontal face of the seat cover after the movement
of the seat back and the floor face of the load compartment can be lowered further.
[0024] Also, according to another preferred embodiment, the biasing piece is configured
of a U-shaped frame, an open-end portion of which is pivotally connected to the back
face of the seat back and a closed-end portion of which pushes against and slides
over the face of the cover member which faces to the back face of the seat back.
[0025] Accordingly, the above-described functions and advantages by the biasing piece can
be attained certainly and preferably.
[0026] According to the invention, there is further provided a vehicle provided with the
seat structure according to the invention or a preferred embodiment thereof and including
a rear seat which is disposed in front of a load compartment at a vehicle rear.
[0027] Other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent
from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view showing schematically a movement mechanism of a rear seat of a vehicle
according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 (a) is a perspective view of the rear seat of the vehicle in its use position according
to the first embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side, and FIG. 2 (b) is a perspective view of the rear seat of the vehicle in its rising position after
its movement according to the first embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side.
FIG. 3 is a view showing a connecting structure of a seat back cover to the seat back.
FIG. 4 is sectional explanatory view of the seat back and the seat back cover connected
therewith.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the seat back cover according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a side view showing schematically a movement mechanism of a rear seat according
to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 (a) is a perspective view of the rear seat of the vehicle in its use position according
to the second embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side, and FIG. 7 (b) is a perspective view of the rear seat of the vehicle in its rising position after
its movement according to the second embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side.
FIG. 8 is a view showing a connecting structure of a link member to a side face of a seat
back according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a seat back cover according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a side view of a latch mechanism.
FIG. 11 (a) is a perspective view of a rear seat of the vehicle in its use position according
to a modified embodiment of the second embodiment, when viewed from the rear left
side, and FIG. 11 (b) is a perspective view of a rear seat of the vehicle in its rising position after
its movement according to the modified embodiment of the second embodiment, when viewed
from the rear left side.
FIG. 12 is a side view showing schematically a movement mechanism of a rear seat according
to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 (a) is a perspective view of the rear seat of the vehicle in its use position according
to the third embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side, and FIG. 13 (b) is a perspective view of the rear seat of the vehicle in its rising position after
its movement according to the third embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side.
FIG. 14 is a view showing a connecting structure of a support member to a bracket according
to the third embodiment.
FIG. 15 is a side view showing schematically a movement mechanism of a rear seat according
to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 (a) is a perspective view of the rear seat of the vehicle in its use position according
to the fourth embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side, and FIG. 16 (b) is a perspective view of the rear seat of the vehicle in its rising position after
its movement according to the fourth embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side.
FIG. 17 (a) is a perspective view of a rear seat of the vehicle in its use position according
to a modified embodiment of the fourth embodiment, when viewed from the rear left
side, and FIG. 17 (b) is a perspective view of a rear seat of the vehicle in its rising position after
its movement according to the modified embodiment of the fourth embodiment, when viewed
from the rear left side.
FIG. 18 is a side view showing schematically a movement mechanism of a rear seat according
to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 19 (a) is a perspective view of the rear seat of the vehicle in its use position according
to the fifth embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side, and FIG. 19 (b) is a perspective view of the rear seat of the vehicle in its rising position after
its movement according to the fifth embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side.
FIG. 20 is a view showing a structure without a seat back cover of FIG. 19 (a).
FIG. 21 is a view showing a connecting structure of an expanding member to a plate member
according to the fifth embodiment.
FIG. 22 is a view showing a connecting structure of the expanding member to an attachment
member according to the fifth embodiment.
FIG. 23 is a side view showing schematically a movement mechanism of a rear seat according
to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 24 (a) is a perspective view of the rear seat of the vehicle in its use position according
to the sixth embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side, and FIG. 24 (b) is a perspective view of the rear seat of the vehicle in its rising position after
its movement according to the sixth embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side.
FIG. 25 is a view showing a structure without a seat back cover of FIG. 24 (a).
FIG. 26 is a view showing a connecting structure of a U-shaped frame to a plate member according
to the sixth embodiment.
[0028] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described referring
to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that even though embodiments
are separately described, single features thereof may be combined to additional embodiments.
EMBODIMENT 1
[0029] FIG.
1 is a side view showing a rear seat of a vehicle in its use position (a state where
a passenger sits on it) and in its rising or folded position (after its movement)
according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The use position
of the rear set is illustrated by a solid line, and the rising position thereof is
illustrated by a one-dotted broken line. FIG.
2 (
a) and FIG.
2 (
b) are respective perspective views of the rear seat of the vehicle in its use position
and in its rising position according to the first embodiment, when viewed from the
rear left side. A seat denoted by a reference numeral
10 is a rear seat (for example, a third-row seat) which is disposed in front of a load
compartment
11 at a vehicle rear. The rear seat
10 is fixed to a specified (predetermined or predeterminable) portion on a floor panel
15 forming a vehicle floor face, and includes a seat cushion
2 which is equipped with a sitting face, a seat back
3 which is equipped with a rest-side face and held so as to rise from a rear end of
the seat cushion
2 in its use position, and a headrest
4 which is attached to an upper end face or upper end portion of the seat back
3. The load compartment
11 opens toward the vehicle rear (toward the right side in FIG.
1) and its opening is closed selectively by a tail gate or trunk lid, which is not
illustrated here.
[0030] Herein, the seat back
3 is configured so as to move or pivot substantially forward of the vehicle, preferably
leaving the seat cushion
2 fixed to its position. After its movement is completed, as apparent from FIG.
1, the seat back
3 is held to be located in front of the seat cushion
2 and behind a front seat
1 (for example, a second-row seat) which is located before the rear seat
10. Also, it is configured such that there is provided a substantially flat face or
portion comprised of part of the rear seat
10 and a floor board
12 which at least partly covers over a spare tire pan
19 formed at part of the floor panel
15 and at least partly forms a floor face of the load compartment
11.
[0031] A structure of the rear seat
10 to provide such movement of the seat back
3 and face forming will be described. There is provided behind the seat back
3 a seat back cover
7 which is equipped with a substantially flat portion
7c preferably covering a mostly whole area of a back face of the seat back
3 and supports the seat back
3. The seat back cover
7 is pivotally connected to a bracket
14, which is disposed on or mounted to the floor panel
15 preferably substantially at the vicinity of a rear end of the seat cushion
2, via a connecting member
8 at its lower end, and it is rotatable or pivotable around an axis
C1 defined by or at the connecting member
8. Also, the seat back cover
7 is connected to the seat back
3 via a slider
9 at its upper end, and thereby the seat back
3 is rotatable or pivotable with respect to the seat back cover
7 around an axis
C2 defined by or at the slider
9. The slider
9 is attached so as to slide along a guide slit
6a which is provided at a side face of the seat back
3.
[0032] Herein, the rear seat
10 is configured such that the rearward rotation of the seat back cover
7 around the axis
C1 is allowed until a specified (predetermined or predeterminable) angle, i.e., until
the use position of the rear seat
10 where the passenger can sit, but its further rotation is prohibited, which is not
illustrated here.
[0033] As described above, the seat back
3 is connected to the seat back cover
7 via the slider
9 which slides along the guide slit
6a and supported thereby. Thus, according to the forward rotation of the seat back cover
7 around the axis
C1, the seat back cover
7 can be rotated with respect to the seat back
3, sliding the slider
9a downward along the guide slit
6a. Accordingly, the seat back
3 can be moved so as to be located in front of the seat cushion
2 and behind the front seat
1. Further, after the movement of the seat back
3 is completed, the seat back cover
7 can be held such that its flat portion
7c is positioned at an approximately horizontal and also the same level as the floor
board
12 while the seat back
3 of the rear seat
10 can be positioned substantially upright or parallel to the seat
1 in front thereof. Accordingly, the seat back
3 of the rear seat
10 positioned in the rising position (chain dotted line in FIG.
1) is at least partly arranged in a foot area recessely provided in the floor panel
15.
[0034] Herein, in the present embodiment, there is provided a flexible member
13 which at least partly connects a side edge portion of the floor board
12 located near the back face of the seat back cover
7 with a lower end portion of the back face of the seat back cover
7 so as to at least partly cover a gap which may occur between the floor board
12 and the seat back cover 7 when the both are located at the substantially same level.
The flexible member
13 bends between the board
12 and the seat back cover
7 when the rear seat
10 is in its use position, while it is extended between them to at least partly cover
the gap when the movement of the seat
10 is completed. Thereby, any articles can be advantageously prevented from being drop
through the gap during loading and unloading at the load compartment. Also, there
can be provided a large and flat load floor face by the seat back cover
7 and the floor board
12.
[0035] The preferred structures of the seat back
3 and the seat back cover
7 will be further described in detail. FIG.
3 shows the detailed structure of the seat back
3. FIG.
4 is a sectional explanatory view of the seat back
3 and the seat back cover
7. The seat back
3 includes basically a cushion member
5 made of, for example, urethane foam or the like, and a holding plate
6 which is attached to the cushion member
5 so as to at least partly cover its back and/or side faces and reinforce it. The guide
slit
6a is formed at a portion of the holding plate
6 which substantially corresponds to the side face of the cushion member
5 so as to extend substantially in a longitudinal direction of the seat back body.
Further, at a face of the holding member
6 which substantially faces to the back face of the cushion member
5, there are provided guide members
16 for receiving or holding one or more headrest frames or posts
4a extending substantially downward from a lower end portion of the headrest
4. One ends of respective guide members
16 connect with holes (not illustrated) for insert of the headrest frames
4a which are formed at the upper end of the cushion member
5, and thereby the headrest
4 is or can be attached to the seat back
3 by inserting the headrest frames
4a into the guide members
16 through the holes. As shown in FIG.
4, an ornamental textile or member
29 is or can be stuck to the back face of the holding plate
6.
[0036] Further, protrudent pieces
7b are provided at both sides at the upper end of the seat back cover
7 supported behind the seat back
3, protruding forward to substantially face to the respective guide slits
6a of the holding plate
6. The respective protrudent pieces
7b are equipped with or mounted to the respective sliders
9 operative to slide along the guide slits
6a. The seat back cover
7 is to be coupled to the seat back
3 in such a manner that the respective sliders
9 are installed to the holding plate
6 so as to slide along the corresponding guide slits
6a.
[0037] FIG.
5 is a perspective view of the seat back cover
7 which is detached from the seat back
3 and the floor panel
15. The seat back cover
7 comprises a (preferably pipe) frame
17 which preferably is made of metal to maintain a sufficient body rigidity and strength,
and a cover structure
18 which is preferably made of resin and forms an approximately board-shaped body covering
over the pipe frame
17. Also, the seat back cover
7 includes the flat portion
7c which forms the substantially flat face in cooperation with the floor face of the
load compartment
11 when the movement of the rear seat
10 is completed, the pair of protrudent pieces
7a which protrude forward from the both sides of its upper end portion so as to correspond
to the side faces of the seat back
3 and a pair of protrudent pieces
7a which protrude forward from the both sides of its lower end so as to correspond to
the bracket
14 fixed on the floor panel
15. These protrudent pieces
7a,
7b have insertion holes
7d respectively which penetrate the cover structure
18 and the pipe frame
17 substantially in the vehicle width direction or in a direction intersecting with
a direction of movement of the seat back
3. The seat back cover
7 is pivotally connected to the bracket
14 and the seat back
3 respectively at the upper and lower ends via the connecting members
18 and the sliders
9 which are to be at least partly inserted into the insertion holes
7d.
[0038] Herein, the seat back cover may not be limited to the above-described structure.
For example, other structures can be adopted, such as the one in which the pipe frame
17 and the cover structure
18 are formed integrally of resin and/or of a composite material, or the one in which
the pipe frame
17 is wrapped by a leather or the like.
[0039] According to the rear seat
10 described above, as apparent from FIG.
1, the seat back cover
7 is rotated or pivoted substantially forward around the axis
C1, supporting the seat back
3. At this moment, the sliders
9 slide along the guide slits
6a and then the seat back
3 is or can be rotated or pivoted with respect to the seat back cover
7 around the axis
C2 defined by the sliders
9. Thereby, the seat back
3 can be moved so as to be located substantially in its rising or upright position
in front of the seat cushion
2 and behind the front seat
1. Thus, the substantially horizontal face can be formed at the lower level by the
seat back cover
7, without moving the seat cushion
2. Further, since the horizontal face forms the flat face in cooperation with the floor
board
12 forming the floor face of the load compartment
11, the large load compartment
11 which can place long loads and the like stably therein and provide easy loading and
unloading from the tail-gate or trunk side can be obtained. Further, the seat back
3 can be stored properly by effectively utilizing the dead space in front of and/or
below the seat cushion
2.
[0040] Further, since the pipe frame
17 to support the seat back
3 so as to hold the passenger is installed into the seat back cover
7 and the seat back
3 includes the cushion member
5 and the holding plate
6 including the guide slits
6a, the seat back
3 can be formed lightly and thereby the operation of moving the rear seat
10 particularly can be facilitated.
[0041] Subsequently, modified embodiments of the present invention will be described. Hereinafter,
the similar or same structure of the modified embodiments as the above-described first
embodiment will have the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment,
and detailed description on those will be omitted.
EMBODIMENT 2
[0042] FIG.
6 is a side view showing schematically a movement mechanism of a rear seat
20 according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. Respective positions
of the rear seat
20 during its forward movement are illustrated by a one-dotted broken line and a two-doted
broken line, respectively. FIG.
7 (
a) and FIG.
7 (
b) are perspective views of the rear seat
20 located respectively in its use position and in its rising position after its movement
according to the second embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side. In the second
embodiment, there is further provided a link member
21 to move the seat back
3 stably and smoothly, in addition to the structure of the first embodiment described
above.
[0043] The link member
21 is pivotally connected to the vicinity of the lower end of the guide slit
6a which is provided at the side face of the seat back
3, more specifically the holding plate
6, via a connecting member
22 at one end thereof, and thereby it can rotate around an axis
C3 defined by or at the connecting member
22. Meanwhile, the link member
21 is pivotally connected to the side face of the seat back cover
7 via a connecting member
23 at the other end thereof, and thereby it can rotate around an axis
C4 defined by or at the connecting member
23. Accordingly, due to the link member
21 a scissor- or quadrant-like link is established allowing the seat back
3 of the seat
20 to be translated substantially in parallel to its upright position in use (see solid
line in FIG.
6) around the connecting member
8 and the slider
9. The axis
C2 defined by or at the slider
9 and the axis
C3 defined by or at the connecting member
22 are displaced or offset with respect to each other along the longitudinal extension
of the holding plate
6.
[0044] Herein, only the link member
21 located at the one (left) side of the vehicle is illustrated in FIG.
7, but the same link member is also provided at the opposite (right) side likewise.
Herein, the link member may be provided only at either one side if it could provide
an enough strength.
[0045] A torsion spring
25 is installed at the connecting portion of the link member
21 to the side face of the seat back
3 as a preferred biasing member which can bias the seat back
3 toward the vehicle front or towards its rising or folded position (after its movement).
The connecting structure with the torsion spring
25 of the link member
21 to the side face of the seat back
3 is illustrated in FIG.
8. The torsion spring
25 is installed inside the seat back
3 (not illustrated in FIG.
8) at the connecting portion of the link member
21 to the seat back
3 in the second embodiment. The torsion spring
25 is held by a spring holding portion
28 at one end (denoted by
25b), and engaged with the link member
21 operative to provide a biasing force with the link member
21 at the other end (denoted by
25a).
[0046] There is provided a hole portion
21b for inserting the connecting member
22 therein at a lower end portion of the link member
21, and an engagement piece
21a to engage with the end portion
25a of the torsion spring
25 is provided at an edge portion above the hole portion
21b. The link member
21 is to be coupled to the side face of the seat back
3 via the connecting member
22 (herein, a bolt) and a nut
27 in the state where the engagement piece
21a engages with the end portion
25 of the torsion spring
25. Thereby, the link member
21 is biased in an arrow
D1 direction around the axis
C3 defined by the connecting member
22.
[0047] In order to preferably limit the movement of the seat back
3 caused by the biasing force of the torsion spring
25 in the use position of rear seat
20, there is provided a latch mechanism engaging between the holding plate
6 and the seat back cover
7 in the second embodiment. FIGS.
9 and
10 are a perspective view and a side view respectively showing the holding plate
6 and the seat back cover
7 which are equipped with the latch mechanism. A striker
31 is provided at the outside of the face of the holding plate
6 which faces to the side face of the cushion member
5 (see FIG.
10). Meanwhile, a latch
32 operative to engage with the striker
31 is provided at the side portion of the seat back cover
7 which substantially corresponds to the striker
31 at the holding plate
6. Further, the seat back cover
7 is provided with an operational lever
33 to release (unlatch) the latch
32 via a connecting member such as a wire (not illustrated) below the latch
32. It is preferred that the operational lever
33 is located at a portion which is easy to access or manipulate from the front and
the rear of the load compartment. Herein, the release of the latch
32 should not be limited to the manual operation of the operational lever
33, and it may be conducted by a remote control.
[0048] The seat back cover
7 is held in the use position of the rear seat
20, i.e., in its rising position behind the seat back
3 along with the seat back
3 by the engagement of the striker
31 with the latch
32. When the operational lever
33 is operated, this engagement is released (unlatched), and then the seat back
3 is moved in such a manner that its lower end is pushed forward by the biasing force
of the torsion spring
25. Accordingly, the slider
9 interconnecting the seat back cover
7 and the seat back
3 slides downward along the guide slit
6a. Then, when the seat back cover
7 is rotated or translated forward, the seat back
3 is located in front of the seat cushion
2 and behind the front seat
1. At the same time, the seat back cover
7 forms the substantially flat face by the back face of the flat portion
7c in cooperation with the floor board
12 constituting the floor face of the load compartment
11.
[0049] According to the second embodiment, as described above, by the link member
21 connecting the seat back
3 with the seat back cover
7, the position of the seat back
3 can be controlled with respect to the seat back cover
7 while moving the seat back
3, and thereby it can be moved properly between its use position and its rising position,
holding the seat back
3 stably to keep its rising position. Preferably, the seat back
3 can be translated substantially in parallel to its orientation in the use position.
Also, the seat back
3 can be moved smoothly without any contact or interference with another seat (specifically,
the front seat
1). Further, the biasing force of the torsion spring
25 preferably can provide the seat back
3 with a substantially automatic movement in the second embodiment when the latch
32 is released by the operational lever
33, and thereby the load compartment can be enlarged easily by a simple assistant operation.
[0050] The above-described embodiment shows the installment of the torsion spring
25 at the connection portion to the link member
21, but it should not be limited to this installment. For example, as a rear seat
20' shown in FIGS.
11 (
a) and
11 (
b), a torsion spring
28 (as a preferred biasing member) may be installed at a connection portion of the link
member
21 to the side face of the seat back cover
7. In this case, it is preferred that the link member
21 is located inside the seat back cover
7 (near the seat back
3) and the protrudent piece
7a at the lower end of the seat back cover
7 is located outside the bracket
14 (away from the seat back
3), which is different from the above-described first embodiment.
EMBODIMENT 3
[0051] FIG.
12 is a side view showing schematically a movement mechanism of a rear seat
40 according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
13 (
a) and FIG.
13 (
b) are perspective views of the rear seat
40 located respectively in its use position and in its rising or upright position after
its movement according to the third embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side.
In the third embodiment, there is further provided a support member
41 to move the seat back
3 stably, in addition to the structure of the first embodiment described above.
[0052] The support member
41 is pivotally connected to a bracket
44, which is to be disposed on the floor panel
15 before the bracket
14 provided for the seat back cover
7 at the side of the seat cushion
2, via a connecting member
42 at its lower end, and it is rotatable or pivotable around an axis
C5 defined by the connecting member
42. Also, the support member
41 is connected to the vicinity of the lower end of the guide slit
6a at the side face of the holding plate
6 via a connecting member
43 at its upper end, and thereby the seat back
3 is rotatable or pivotable with respect to the connecting member
43 around an axis
C6 defined by the connecting member
43. Accordingly, the support member
41, the connecting members
41,
42 and the bracket
44 being pivotably interconnected with respect to each other form a scissors- or quadrant-like
link for translating the seat back
3 of the seat
20 between its use position and its rising or upright position.
[0053] The support member
41 is, as apparent from FIG.
12, configured so as to extend approximately along the side portions of the seat cushion
2 and the seat back
3 without preventing the passenger from sitting. The third embodiment shows the support
member
41 having its bent middle portion, but it should not limited to this structure. For
example, the support member with a curved or other-shaped figure may be used.
[0054] Herein, only the support member
41 located at the one (left) lateral side of the vehicle is illustrated in FIGS.
12 and
13, but the same support member is also provided at the opposite (right) lateral side
likewise. Herein, the support member may be provided only at either one lateral side
if it could provide an enough strength.
[0055] A torsion spring
45 (as a preferred biasing member) is installed at the connecting portion of the support
member
41 to the bracket
44 provided at the side of the seat cushion as a biasing member which can bias the seat
back
3 toward the vehicle front. The connecting structure with the torsion spring
45 of the support member
41 to the bracket
44 is illustrated in FIG.
14. The bracket
44 is provided at the side of the seat cushion
2, and other parts integrated therewith including the torsion spring
45 are installed inside the seat cushion
2. The bracket
44 includes a spring support portion
46 at an inside face thereof (i.e., non-exposed face), which extends inward and horizontally,
and the torsion spring
45 is held in a specified position on the spring support portion
46 so as to substantially face to a hole
44a for receiving a connecting member which is formed at the bracket
44. There is provided an engagement piece
46a to hold an end portion
45b of the torsion spring
45 at the inside end (at the seat-side end) of the torsion spring support portion
46. The torsion spring
45 is engaged with the engagement piece
46a at one end (denoted by
45b), and engaged with the support member
41 operative to provide a biasing force with the support member
41 at the other end (denoted by
45a).
[0056] There is provided a hole portion
41a for inserting the connecting member
42 therein at a lower end portion of the support member
41, and an engagement piece
41b to engage with the end portion
45a of the torsion spring
45 is provided at an edge portion above the hole portion
41a. The support member
41 is coupled to the bracket
44 via a bolt as the connecting member
42 and a nut
43 in the state where the end portion of the torsion spring
45 engages with the engagement piece
41b. Thereby, the support member
41 is biased in an arrow
D2 direction (in a direction where the seat back
3 is pushed forward) around the axis
C5 defined by the connecting member
42.
[0057] Although not illustrated here, in order to limit the movement of the seat back caused
by the biasing force of the torsion spring, there is also provided the same latch
mechanism as the second embodiment engaging between the holding plate
6 and the seat back cover
7 in the third embodiment.
[0058] When the latch mechanism is unlatched, the seat back
3 is moved in such a manner that it is pushed forward via the support member
41 by the biasing force of the torsion spring
45 installed at the connecting portion of the support member
14 to the bracket
44. Accordingly, the seat back cover
7 is rotated forward, and the slider
9 interconnecting the seat back cover
7 and the seat back
3 slides downward or relatively along the guide slit
6a. Then, when the seat back cover
7 is rotated or pivoted or translated forward, the seat back
3 is located in front of the seat cushion
2 and behind the front seat
1. At the same time, after the movement is completed, the seat back cover
7 forms the substantially flat face by the back face of the flat portion
7c in cooperation with the floor board
12 constituting the floor face of the load compartment
11.
[0059] According to the third embodiment, as described above, since the seat back
3 is supported by the seat back cover
7 and the support member
41 which are both to be connected to the floor panel
15, it can be held stably and moved between its use position and its rising or upright
position. Also, the movement of the seat back
3 can be controlled more properly in respective positions, compared to the first embodiment
in which the seat back
3 is supported only by the seat back cover
7, thereby providing more stable holding or guidance of the seat back
3. Further, the seat back
3 can be moved smoothly without any contact or interference with another seat (specifically,
the front seat
1).
[0060] Further, the biasing force of the torsion spring
45 preferably can provide the seat back
3 with a substantially automatic movement in the third embodiment when the latch is
released by the operational lever, and thereby the load compartment can be enlarged
easily by a simple assistant operation.
EMBODIMENT 4
[0061] FIG.
15 is a side view showing schematically a movement mechanism of a rear seat
50 according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
16 (
a) and FIG.
16 (
b) are perspective views of the rear seat 50 located respectively in its use position
and in its rising or upright position after its movement according to the fourth embodiment,
when viewed from the rear left side. In the fourth embodiment, in order to move the
seat back
3 further smoothly and stably, avoiding any contact and interference particularly with
another seat back, there is further provided a link member
51 which connects the support member
41 with the seat back cover
7 in addition to the structure of the third embodiment described above.
[0062] The link member
51 is pivotally connected to an intermediate portion (preferably substantially a middle
portion) of the support member
41 in its longitudinal direction via a connecting member
52 at its one end, and it is rotatable or pivotable around an axis
C7 defined by or at the connecting member
52. Also, the link member
51 is connected to an intermediate portion (preferably substantially a middle portion)
of the side face of the seat back cover
7 in its longitudinal direction via a connecting member
53 at its other end, and it is rotatable or pivotable with respect to the seat back
cover
7 around an axis
C8 defined by or at the connecting member
53.
[0063] Accordingly, since the support member
41 and the seat back cover
7 are interconnected by the link member
51, the movement of the seat back
3 can be controlled properly in respective rising or upright positions during its movement,
and thereby it can be held stably and moved between its use position and its rising
or upright position. Further, the seat back
3 can be moved further smoothly without any contact or interference with another seat
(specifically, the front seat
1).
[0064] Further, the biasing force of the torsion spring
45 can provide the seat back
3 with a substantially automatic movement in the fourth embodiment when the latch is
released by the operational lever, and thereby the load compartment can be enlarged
easily by a simple assistant operation.
[0065] In the above-described embodiment, as apparent from FIG.
16, the support member
41 and the link member
51 are located inside and/or at least partly covered by the bracket
14 (near the seat back
3) to which the seat back cover
7 is connected at its lower end, and the protrudent piece
7a at the lower end of the seat back cover
7 is located outside the bracket
14 (away from the seat back
3). However, another structure may be adopted. For example, as a rear seat
50' shown in FIGS.
17 (
a) and
17 (
b), the support member
41 and the link member
51 are located outside the bracket
14, and the protrudent piece
7a is located inside the bracket
14.
EMBODIMENT 5
[0066] FIG.
18 is a side view showing schematically a movement mechanism of a rear seat
60 between its use position and its rising or upright position after its movement according
to a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention. Respective states of the
rear seat
60 taking its use position, its rising or upright position after its movement, and its
under-way position are illustrated respectively by a solid line, a one-dotted broken
line, and a two-doted broken line. FIG.
19 (
a) and FIG.
19 (
b) are perspective views of the rear seat
60 located respectively in its use position and in its rising or upright position after
its movement according to the fifth embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side.
In the fifth embodiment, there is preferably provided a biasing member to be interposed
between the seat back
3 and the cover member
7 so as to resiliently bias them away each other.
[0067] Hereinafter, the attachment structure of the biasing member to move the rear seat
60 will be described referring to FIGS.
20 through
22. FIG.
20 is a perspective view of the rear seat
60 shown in FIG.
19 (
a) without the seat back cover
7, the flexible member
13 attached to it, and floor board
12. FIG.
21 shows a detailed structure of upper end portion
116b of an expanding member
116 as the preferred biasing member, which is attached to the back face of the seat back
3. FIG.
22 shows a detailed structure of a lower end portion
116a of the expanding member
116.
[0068] The expanding member
116 is pivotally connected to the back face of the seat back
3, specifically to an attachment member (bracket)
119 which is provided on a back face of the holding plate
16 at lower and center portion thereof, via a connecting member
117 at its upper end
116b, and it is rotatable around an axis
C13 defined by the connecting member
117. Meanwhile, the expanding member
116 is pivotally connected to an attachment member (bracket)
120 which is to be provided at an intermediate portion (preferably substantially a center
portion) of the floor panel
15 near the rear end of the seat cushion
2 via a connecting member
118 at its lower end
116a, and it is rotatable or pivotable around an axis
C14 defined by the connecting member
118. The expanding member
116 is equipped with an expanding spring (not illustrated) therein which expands and
contracts in its longitudinal direction, which is contracted, when the rear seat
60 is in its use position, so as to bias the upper end portion
116b upward.
[0069] As shown in FIG.
21, the upper end portion
116b of the expanding member
116 and the attachment member
119 provided on the back face of the holding plate
16 at lower and center portion have holes respectively for at least partly inserting
the connecting member
117 therein. The expanding member
116 is attached to the attachment member
119 via the connecting member (bolt)
117 and a nut
121, thereby is connected to the holding plate
6. Accordingly, the expanding member
116 is rotatable or pivotable around the axis
C13 defined by or at the connecting member
117.
[0070] There is provided a torsion spring
122 operative to bias the upper end portion
116b of the expanding member
116 forward at the connecting portion of the expanding member
116 to the floor panel. As shown in FIG.
22, the torsion spring
122 is held by a spring holding portion
120b, which is provided at the attachment portion
120, at its one end
122a. While, the torsion spring
122 is engaged with an engagement piece
116c, which is formed at an edge portion of the lower end portion
116a of the expanding member
116 at its other end
122b. Accordingly, the torsion spring
122 provides a biasing force to the expanding member
116.
[0071] The lower end portion
116a of the expanding member
116 and the attachment member
120 have holes respectively for inserting the connecting member
118 therein. The expanding member
116 is attached to the attachment member
120 via the connecting member (bolt)
118 and a nut
123 in a state where the engagement piece
116c is engaged with the one end portion
122b of the torsion spring
122, thereby is connected to the floor panel
15. Accordingly, the expanding member
116 is rotatable or pivotable and biased in an arrow
D11 direction around the axis
C14 defined by or at the connecting member
118.
[0072] Herein, although the single expanding member
116 is provided at the central portion of the back face of the seat back
3 in FIGS.
19 and
20, there may be provided plural expanding members.
[0073] Herein, the rear seat
60 in the fifth embodiment preferably is also equipped with the latch mechanism (striker
31, latch
32 and operational lever
33) like the second embodiment shown in FIG.
10, which is provided between the holding plate
6 and the seat back cover
7 so as to provide the engagement therebetween.
[0074] According to the rear seat
60, the seat back cover
7 holds the seat back
3 so as to rise behind the seat back
3 along with the seat back
3 in the seat-use position, by engaging the striker
31 with the latch
32. While, the both engagement is released (unlatched) by the operational lever
33, and the seat back
3 is or can be moved by the biasing forces of the expanding member
116 and the torsion spring
122 in such a manner that its lower end is pushed forward. Here, as apparent from FIG.
18, the seat back
3 is rotated or translated forward with being supported by the seat back cover
7 and the expanding member
116, and accordingly, the slider
9 slides downward along the guide slit
6a. At the same time, the seat back cover
7 is rotated or translated forward and at least partly covers the upper face of the
seat cushion
2, so that it forms the substantially flat face by the back face of the flat portion
7c in cooperation with the floor board
12 constituting the floor face of the load compartment
11. While, the seat back
3 is moved in front of the seat cushion
2 and behind the front seat
1 so as to be located in its rising position.
[0075] According to the fifth embodiment described above, by a simple operation of releasing
the latch
32 by just operating the operational lever
33, the seat back
3 is moved forward automatically by the expanding member
116 and the torsion spring
122, and the seat back cover
7 at least partly covers the upper face of the seat cushion to form the substantially
horizontal face. Herein, only the seat back cover
7 is located on the seat cushion
2 and the seat back
3 is located in front of and/or at least partly under the seat cushion
2 and behind the front seat
1 in its rising or substantially upright position. Thus, the substantially flat and
horizontal face can be formed in cooperation with the floor board
12 constituting the floor face of the load compartment
11, at the lower level by the seat back cover
7 without moving the seat cushion
2. Accordingly, a wide load compartment which can place large or long loads and the
like stably therein can be provided, and the dead space in front of and/or under the
seat cushion
2 can be utilized effectively.
[0076] Further, since the seat back
3 and the floor panel
15 are to be interconnected by the expanding member
116, the seat back
3 is held by the both seat back cover
7 and the expanding member
116. Accordingly, the holding force of the seat back
3 can be further increased, compared to the seat back
3 held only by the seat back cover
7, thereby suppressing any improper movement of the seat back
3 and providing a stable, smooth and certain movement to the seat back
3.
EMBODIMENT 6
[0077] FIG.
23 is a side view showing schematically a movement mechanism of a rear seat
70 according to a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention. Respective states
of the rear seat
70 taking its use position, its rising or upright position after its movement, and its
under-way or intermediate position are illustrated respectively by a solid line, a
one-dotted broken line, and a two-doted broken line. FIG.
24 (
a) and FIG.
24 (
b) are perspective views of the rear seat
70 located respectively in its use position and in its rising position after its movement
according to the sixth embodiment, when viewed from the rear left side. The sixth
embodiment has the same basic structure as the fifth embodiment, but its biasing member
to bias the seat back
3 is configured of a U-shaped frame
131 (corresponding to a biasing piece), which is different from that.
[0078] FIG.
25 is a perspective view of the rear seat
70 shown in FIG.
24 (
a) without the seat back cover
7, the flexible member
13 attached to it, and the floor board
12. FIG.
26 is a view showing a detailed attachment structure of a U-shaped frame
131 as a preferred biasing member, which is attached to the back face of the seat back
3. As shown in FIGS.
25 and
26, U-shaped frame
131 is a frame which is of a U shape. Its lower portion has a curved and closed end,
while its upper portion has open ends which comprise stopper portions
131a and engagement portions
131b. The stopper portions
131a have flat faces which are substantially perpendicular to the back face of the holding
plate
6, and the engagement portions
131b are configured so as to extend inward (toward the center of seat) and engage with
attachment members (U-shaped brackets)
132 by being at least partly inserted therein. The attachment members
132 are to be attached to the back face of the seat back
3, specifically to the back face of the holding plate
6, at a lower and center portion thereof. The engagement portions
131b at the upper end of the U-shaped frame
131 are engaged with this attachment members
132. Accordingly, the U-shaped frame
131 is connected to holding plate
6 so as to be rotatable or pivotable around an axis
C15 defined by or at the engagement portions
131b.
[0079] One or more torsion springs
133 which bias the lower end (curved portion) of the U-shaped frame
131 reward and upward are installed at the connecting portions of the U-shaped frame
131 to the holding plate
6. The torsion springs
133 are attached in such a manner that the engagement portions
131b of the U-shaped frame
131 are at least partly inserted into their torsional centers. Their one ends
133a engage with the engagement pieces
132a which are provided at edge portions of the attachment members
132, while their other ends
133b engage with engagement pieces
131c formed at their inside ends near the upper end of the U-shaped frame
131. Accordingly, the U-shaped frame
131 is biased in an arrow
D12 around the axis
C15 defined by or at the engagement portions
131b with respect to the holding plate
6. Herein, the U-shaped frame
131 is allowed to rotate or pivot in the arrow
D12 direction until the angle between the U-shaped frame
131 and the back face of the holding plate
6 becomes a substantially right angle, but its further rotation beyond the angle is
limited by the stopper portions
131a provided at the upper end of the U-shaped frame
131.
[0080] According to the rear seat
70, the seat back cover
7 holds the seat back
3 so as to rise behind the seat back
3 along with the seat back
3 in the seat-use position, preferably by engaging the striker
31 with the latch
32. While, the both engagement is released (unlatched) by the operational lever
33, and the seat back
3 is moved by the biasing forces of the U-shaped frame
131 in such a manner that its lower end is pushed forward. Here, as apparent from FIG.
23, the seat back
3 is rotated or translated forward with being supported by the seat back cover
7 and the U-shaped frame
131, and accordingly, the slider
9 slides with respect to or downward along the guide slit
6a. The U-shaped member
131 biases the seat back
3 forward and upward with respect to the seat back cover
7 by its lower end (curbed portion) pushing against and sliding upward over an inside
face of the flat portion
7c of the seat back cover
7 which faces to the back face of the seat back
3. At the same time of the movement of the seat back
3, the seat back cover
7 is rotated forward and covers the upper face of the seat cushion
2, so that it forms the substantially flat face by the back face of the flat portion
7c in cooperation with the floor board
12 constituting the floor face of the load compartment
11. While, the seat back
3 is moved in front of the seat cushion
2 and behind the front seat
1 so as to be located in its rising position.
[0081] According to the sixth embodiment described above, by the simple operation of releasing
the latch
32 by just operating the operational lever
33, the seat back
3 is moved forward automatically by the U-shaped frame
131, and the seat back cover
7 clovers the upper face of the seat cushion
2 to form the horizontal face. Herein, only the seat back cover
7 is located on the seat cushion
2 and the seat back
3 is located in front of the seat cushion
2 and behind the front seat
1 in its rising or upright position. Thus, the substantially flat and horizontal face
can be formed in cooperation with the floor board
12 constituting the floor face of the load compartment
11, at the lower level by the seat back cover
7 without moving the seat cushion
2. Accordingly, a wide load compartment which can place large or long loads and the
like stably therein can be provided, and the dead space in front of the seat cushion
2 can be utilized effectively.
[0082] Further, the structure of automatically moving the seat back
3 stably and smoothly between its use position and its rising position after its movement
can be materialized by a relatively simple constitution. Also, since the U-shaped
frame
131 is configured such that only its upper end is connected to the back face of the seat
back
3 and its lower end (curbed portion) slides upward over the face of the seat back cover
7 which faces to the back face of the seat back
3, it can be located along the seat back cover
7 when the movement of the seat back
3 is completed, thereby preventing it from interfering with the seat cushion
2.
[0083] Herein, the figures of the expanding member and the biasing piece should not limited
to the embodiments described above. Any other figures may be adopted.
[0084] The present invention is not limited to the exemplified embodiments described above,
and various improvements and modifications may be adopted within the scope of a sprit
of the present invention.